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;
The Dorking Halls was built to house the Festival and opened in 1931;
'Song for a Spring Festival', written by RVW to celebrate the Festival's 50th year, may only be performed at the Festival;
RVW retired as Festival Conductor in 1953, but continued to conduct the St Matthew Passion until 1958;
Whilst living in Dorking, RVW composed works including Serenade to Music, Symphonies 4 - 7 and The Pilgrim's Progress;
RVW conducted the first combined choirs concert at the Festival on 10 May 1905;
The first competition day at the Festival exclusively for children was held in 1921;
In 1934 the BBC broadcast part of the Festival performance of Dream of Gerontius;
The first Festival performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1931 had 800 singers;

The competition takes place at the Dorking Halls where each choir performs two songs of their choice (max 7 minutes total). After hearing all performances in their category, the adjudicator will give constructive comments before announcing the winner of the category.

This is a fantastic opportunity for choirs to perform in a purpose-built venue to a supportive and hopefully large audience, made up of family and friends.

Each winning choir will receive a trophy, and all choirs receive a certificate along with that undeniable buzz that comes from performing live in front of an appreciative audience!

The competition takes place between 9am and 5pm, with the different categories competing at different times, starting with the youngest choirs. Exact timings and details will be confirmed once all applications have been received.

There is a grand piano on stage and CD backing track facilities. There is no hard and fast rule as to what constitutes a small or large choir. It will depend on the range of entries which have been received so as to create a balanced competition for all choirs both large and small.

Class Categories

7 years & under – small choir (KS1)

13 years & under (KS3)

7 years & under - large choir (KS1)

18 years & under

11 years & under – small choir (KS2)

Mixed age Youth Choir

11 years & under – large choir (KS2)

If you would like to discuss anything about the Competition, please email the organiser, Heather Cordery, directly on youthday@lhmf.org.uk

Previous Years

Reports and results of previous Youth Choirs' Competitions may be viewed by following the Reports and Results link below.